Agenda
CONVENTION 2003 AGENDA
Religious fanaticism poses a grave and imminent danger to the survival and safety of India and its citizens and will have a drastic effect on world peace. The brutal Gujarat pogrom conducted as "an experiment" was a success in the eyes of the Hindutva ultranationalists, which they plan to repeat all over India.
To counter this trend the only way is to:
1) Organize
2) Increase awareness of the danger posed by religious fanaticism to India's democracy, secularism, pluralism and religious minorities and its global implications
3) Form effective coalitions with groups representing India’s different religions, ethnic minorities and US-based human rights organizations.
The IMC convention will do all of the above. This is the first time that Indians of all religious affiliations and political orientation will have assembled together in the US. This is itself a towering and crucial achievement and will go a long way towards building an effective coalition.
India's communal woes should be viewed alongside concerns of poverty, economic development, and universal human rights. We must find hope in the darkness. That hope is the cooperation that can emerge from all faiths that see an injustice to one as an injustice to all.
Hence the agenda of the IMC National Convention is two-fold:
1) Generate a wide discussion and conduct debate on India's drift towards religious extremism.
2) Build a broad based coalition to stop this drift and revive the character of India that can serve as a model of pluralism, diversity and tolerance for the rest of the world.
From Innovative sessions by best minds in Indian Journalism, research and academia to invigorating discussions from Human Rights and Secular groups, the IMC National Convention has something that will inspire, invigorate, and renew your commitment. You'll be able to contribute new ideas, volunteer, build alliances and work towards promoting and safeguarding the pluralistic and tolerant ethos of Indian Society. We hope that you will be able to attend, benefit and contribute.
Please check back again for the schedule and sessions information.
IMC-USA CONVENTION THEME
India after Gujarat: Democracy or Religious Fanaticism
The events during the past year, particularly the pogrom in the Indian State of Gujarat, in which more than two thousand Muslim civilians were brutally killed and hundreds of women and girls raped by the Hindutva ultranationalists, reveal a dangerous trend that is challenging the pluralistic and tolerant ideals that sustained India for so long. The pogrom helped them to win the elections in Gujarat at a time when their political fortunes were in a decline. Emboldened by the world's silence and intoxicated with the electoral victory in a polarized Gujarat, Hindutva leaders are now calling for a repeat of this "successful experiment" in other Indian states to win the national elections.
Gujarat 2002 was a turning point where there was state complicity in the pogrom. Gujarat also stands apart in its brutality and stands apart in the way that civil society chose to respond with silence and claims of neutrality. The poison of hate filled ideologies had not only reached alarming proportions in India, but had also insidiously infiltrated many institutions and individuals in the USA, particularly those related to India.
Indian human rights activists and International human rights organizations have expressed alarm over this trend. They point to the increasing attacks on Muslims, Christians and Dalits all over India. The Hindutva supporters who glorify Hitler and Mussolini are also infiltrating the power centers of the US society and pose a great danger to the US and its democratic institutions.
Hence the theme of this convention is focused towards the rise of religious fanaticism in India and the danger it poses to millions of Indians and to world peace.
CONVENTION SCHEDULE (Tentative)
Saturday, June 28th 2003
The Convention begins Saturday, June 28th 2003 @ 9:00 AM with a press conference and lasts through Sunday, June 29th until 12:00 PM. Workshops and meetings of organizations are held on Sunday, June 29th with the highlight of the convention being the banquet dinner on Saturday, June 28th from 7:00 PM onwards. Please check back again for an updated schedule.
SESSIONS INFORMATION
Sessions will be held in the Ballroom of the Santa Clara Marriott.
Inaugural Session - 9:00 to 9:55 AM
Imam Tahir Anwar (SBIA)
Razi Mohiuddin (Welcome address)
Khaleel Rahman (Inaugural Remarks)
Mirza Baig (House keeping)
India After Gujarat - 9:55 to 10:55 AM
Dr. Satchit Balsari
Nishrin Hussain
Bhashwati Sengupta
Manzoor Ghori
Problems & Solutions - 11 to 12 :30 PM
Anant Krishna
Prof. Hari Sharma
Dr. Angana Chaterjee
Prof. Raka Ray
Dr. Aslam Abdullah
Lunch Activities - 12:30 to 2:30 PM
(Lunch on your own)
Audience Speak - 1:15 to 2:15
Experiences in Multi-Culturalism - 2:30 to 4:15 PM
Dr. Omar Afzal
P D John
Kulmit Singh
Dr. K. P. Singh
Raju Rajagopal
Dr. Rahul Deepankar
Break - 4:05 to 4:15 PM
Coming to Democracy's Aid - 4:15 to 6:00 PM
Smita Narula
Khalid Griggs
Dr. Ahmadullah Siddiqui
Asim Ghafoor
Dr. Lise McKean
Q & A for Panelists - 6:00 to 6 :45 PM
Banquet 7:00 - 8:35 PM
Awards Presentation
Jameel Johnson
Fr. Cedric Prakash
Key Note Session 8:45 to 9:45 PM
Praful Bidwai
Shaik Ubaid (Presidential address)
Vote of Thanks
Closing Prayer
Poetry Recital 9:45 to 10:30
For more information E-mail: program@imc-usa.org or call (408) 219 1433 or (408) 980 9130.
